How to weather the storm

Batten down the hatches

There are some precautions worth taking to protect your home and your family before the storm hits. As soon as there’s a severe weather warning in your area, such as high winds, secure loose items outside. Shed doors, garden furniture and bikes could become airborne during a storm and cause damage to windows and could even hit passers-by.

Give your home's weatherproofing the once-over every six months or so – you don't want to realise that your roof is leaky halfway through a violent rainstorm. Roof tiles and guttering need to be in tiptop shape as they’re going to take a real battering in any type of storm wind, rain or lightning. Check for loose tiles and blockages in your gutters, such as leaves, twigs and moss. A poorly-maintained roof or blocked gutters could cause flooding into your home.

Trees are the next casualty in heavy storms, and if one within your property boundary falls and damages a neighbour’s home or car, you are liable. You can minimise the risk by keeping large trees pruned and remove heavy or loose branches, which could be torn off in high winds.

If you live in a part of the country that is particularly vulnerable to strong winds and violent storms, such as exposed coastal areas, you could consider investing in storm shutters for windows, or cover them with plywood for the duration of the storm. It may seem like a hassle, but it’s decidedly preferable to having broken glass flying into your home.

Minimise floodwater damage

It may be that you live in a flood risk area (find out at www.environment-agency.gov.uk), in which case you should be prepared to take action the minute a flood warning is given. Find out where and how you can pick up the sandbags you'll need to block doorways and windows – your local council or builder's merchant can advise you – and get some plywood to block air-bricks. Have a contingency plan in place so you can move all furniture, soft furnishings and electrical items as high up as possible, either on a raised platform on the ground floor, but preferably upstairs. Remove carpets, rugs, curtains – anything that is likely to be ruined by floodwater and make sure you know where to turn off your water, electricity and gas at the mains.

When lightning strikes

Although it is very unlikely that your home will experience a direct hit from lightning, if it does, the electric shock can set it on fire, which is why it is important that your smoke alarms are in full working order. Don't try to fight the flames yourself, get everyone out of the house and call the fire brigade.

A grounded TV aerial will provide some protection from direct hits. You can also safeguard your home by unplugging all electrical appliances before the storm and take the added precaution of installing surge protectors between your appliances and the socket. When an electric storm is raging in your neighbourhood, stay safe – avoid talking on the phone, taking a bath, using a PC or watching TV. If lightning does strike your home, it takes the easiest route to earth and, as we all know, wires, cables, water and water pipes are the best conductors of electricity.

After the storm

Take photographs of the damage to your property and possessions for your insurer. Use temporary measures like a plastic sheet over your damaged roof and smashed windows to protect your home from the elements and book in a tradesperson to carry out temporary repairs as soon as possible. In the case of flooding, keep doors and windows open and the heating on (once you have the all-clear from a Corgi-registered engineer that it is safe to do so) to help speed up the drying-out process. Whatever you do, take advice from professionals and don’t be tempted to carry out the work yourself – better to wait and have the job done properly than have to do it twice.

To make sure your home and its contents are covered in case things go wrong, go to our Home insurance section for an online quote today.